1. Field of the Invention
The apparatus of the present invention relates to internal combustion engine radiators. More particularly, the present invention relates to an adaptor assembly which can be used in the replacement of a modular-type radiator, allowing use of the upper and lower radiator tanks, and the radiator seals with the new replacement core.
2. General Background
It is well known in the art that radiators, or heat exchangers are most commonly used in internal combustion engines and must have sufficient capacity to cool the engine by the passage of air through and around a heat exchanger core which contains water that is utilized in the cooling of the engine block through heat exchange. In a conventional radiator heat exchanger assembly, water is coursed through a lengthy plurality of cooling pipes surrounded by folded metal in a single core, the radiator fan blows cool air through the core so that heat is released from the water in the pipes so that when it returns to the engine it is cooled and can pick up additional heat from the engine. This standard radiator assembly is used in most internal combustion engines, and has been known in the art for a number of years.
In a recent year, Caterpillar Tractor Company has developed a new "folded core", used in the various vehicles manufactured by Caterpillar, which is considered a departure from the conventional heavy-duty radiators which have been used since the onset of the company. In place of the one-piece conventional core, there is utilized a modular radiator comprising a number of individual core sections, each free-standing and secured at angles relative to one another, so as to present a "folded core" designation. Each modular core section is secured in position by braces from section to section and water flow is through pipes at the ends of each section and to the end water tanks. The individual folded core modules are theoretically an improvement over the conventional radiator in that there is included a trash gap between the modules and there is an increased surface area for additional cooling, together with the fact that should a break occur in a single module, the modules are easily replaceable, therefore eliminating the need for the entire replacement of the radiator itself.
However, in the practical day-to-day use of the folded core radiator module system, it has occurred that problems ensue in the core system which are sometimes insurmountable resulting in an undesirable functioning of the modular radiator system, and the need to return to a conventional radiator system. However, one of the drawbacks is that, of course, to return to the conventional system, the owner of the vehicle such as a Caterpillar tractor or harvester, which is fitted with an expensive folded core radiator, results in a great expense in replacing such an item.